Sunday Supper: Food and Wine Pairing of the Week

Just flying back from Montreal, and another crazy-busy week is in the books.

Landing in Toronto just after dinner time, and starving, is exactly why we say having a well stocked pantry and wine fridge is essential. (Read more on our fall must-haves here). And, after a weekend of dining out, grabbing sandwiches on the fly, and eating your weight in smoked meat and French onion soup, something wholesome, delicious and satisfying was definitely needed.

But the good news is, that in less time than it takes to order and wait for pizza, you can have this week’s awesome meal on the table. Lemony risotto with sweet peas and seared scallops is delicious, satisfying and way more elegant than any boxed dinner. Paired with a killer Ontario Riesling and you’re dining in style.

Lemon Risotto with Sweet Peas and Seared Scallops

Serves 4

What You Need

• 1.5 lb scallops
• 3/4 cup arborio rice
• 1 cup white wine
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 large leek, thinly sliced (white and light green part only)
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup Parmesan, finely grated
• Zest from half a lemon, about 1 Tbsp
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

How You Do It

1. In a sauce pan over low heat, warm stock
2. Melt butter in a deep pan over medium heat and stir in leeks to hot butter, cooking until soft, about 5 minutes or so
3. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn garlic
4. Add in rice and stir until rice is coated and shimmery and cook for about 3 minutes until it starts to get translucent
5. Add in white wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan
6. Add in half the lemon zest and once wine is absorbed start ladling in warm stock, half a cup at a time
7. Stir frequently (most recipes say stir constantly, but we think that’s unnecessarily controlling and quite frankly a boring waste of time)
8. When liquid is just about absorbed ladle in more stock until the stock is finished and/or the risotto is soft, thick and creamy (this whole process of adding and absorbing stock should take roughly 20 minutes)
9. While this is happening, when you only have about a cup left of stock, heat a pan over medium heat and add olive oil
10. Season scallops with salt and pepper and add to hot pan to sear, until outsides are brown and caramelized, and the inside is still pink and tender. For the thickness of our scallops and heat of the pan this took 4-5 minutes per side. In some cases it could take as little as 2, so use your best judgement.
11. Add in the peas to the risotto with the last 1/2 cup of stock along with the parmesan, remaining zest, and salt and pepper to taste
12. Plate the risotto, topping with scallops

The Wine Sisters’ Wine Pairing

There’s tons a versatility here, as the creamy richness of the risotto, succulent sweetness of the scallops and bright freshness of the lemon mimic everything from gently oaked Chardonnay to crisp Pinot Gris. In this particular case we were dying for an excuse to open a Charles Baker Riesling, and thought this would be as good a time as any.

Charles Baker “Picone Vineyard” Riesling, VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, 2011
$35 Vintages 241182
Bright and crisp are two excellent words to describe everything about this wine: from the pale lemon colour that nearly sparkles in the glass, to the fresh aromatics of lemon-lime, slate, grapefruit and subtle petrol, to the palate where the mouth feel focuses mouthwatering acid tempered by a nearly oily weight and flavours of citrus and mineral dominate with a pleasing bitter grapefruit finish. An excellent example of quality Ontario Riesling.

How Did the Pairing Work?

Nicely. But Riesling is such a food friendly wine that there isn’t much it doesn’t go with. You’ll note in the picture, it’s paired up with a cheese and charcuterie board, where it was equally as enjoyable, and we’ve had this Riesling in the past with spicy shrimp paella to great success. In this particular case, what’s really nice is how the pinpoint acidity cleanses the palate of the weighty risotto and rich scallops, while the citrus notes in the wine compliment the lemon freshness in the dish.